We're back with part 6 of my newsletter series, where I’m walking you step by step through the process of building a brand from scratch or rebranding your existing business.
In week 1, we talked about how to achieve brand clarity.
In week 2, we went over how to create a blueprint for your brand.
In week 3, we dug into audience research.
In week 4, we talked wtf a Brand Strategy is.
In week 5 - you learned how to DIY your content pillars...
In week 6, we’re debunking some of the most common misconceptions about your brand identity and what yours should include.
Branding is something we all know we “should” (ew, that word) do - but get so overwhelmed by it because there is so much to it.
My goal with this email series was to map out how to build a brand from scratch or rebrand your existing business step-by-step, to take some of that overwhelm away and give you a roadmap for how to build a strong foundation for your brand - so that when it is time to scale, you have what you need in place for your brand.
I firmly believe that the more strategy, unearthing, and preliminary work you do before creating a brand identity, the better it will be.
If you really know who your brand is before you invest in working with a designer like me, your experience and brand will be better.
I can say with certainly that there are more misconceptions surrounding brand identity (hell, I’ve even gotten confused) than any other branding term or practice, some of the most common being:
- It's just a logo
- It's only for big companies
- It’s just your visual identity
A brand identity is the distinct visuals, personality, and positioning you use to represent your brand. Your brand identity includes…
Visual branding elements like:
- Logo - The iconic visual symbol that embodies the brand.
- Color Palette - The specific colors used consistently across the brand's visuals.
- Typography - The distinct font styles used for the brand name, messaging, etc.
- Imagery - The style of photography, illustrations, etc., used by the brand.
And communication elements, including…
- Voice/Tone - The consistent personality, emotion, and language the brand uses in communications.
- Taglines/Messaging - The key phrases and statements that capture the brand's positioning and value proposition.
A strong and consistent brand identity...
- Allows your brand to be easily recognized
- Communicates what makes your brand unique and valuable
- Provides a cohesive branded experience for your audience
- Creates credibility and perceived quality to your offerings
When most new entrepreneurs think about branding, they think mainly about their brand identity.
Your Brand identity is typically what you think you need to get started. The logos, colors, and messaging—I often refer to this with my 1:1 clients as “the fun stuff.” It’s the piece you’ve been waiting to get to for the last five weeks while I made you do research, unearth, and strategize. All of that ← was in preparation for this ↓.
Keep Reading For Newsletter Highlights
- Behind the Brand → The most important thing to understand about your brand's identity
- A Note From Catie → Here's where things get sticky - the rebrand chronichles
- Let's talk about your brand → How to work with me on your brand identity this summer :)
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what you need to know about your brand's identity |
The most important thing to understand about your brand identity is that it isn't solely about logo design. Even though logos are a significant element, your brand identity involves much more than graphics.
It includes your brand's tone of voice, values, mission, and the experience you provide your customers. Communicating and engaging with your audience is as integral to your brand identity as your logo or color palette.
Solopreneurs like you can benefit from a cohesive identity to differentiate and legitimize themselves. Understanding what your brand identity should include can help you fill in the blanks to improve what you have now—or just understand the different elements at play if you decide to work with a designer like me to create an identity for your brand.
When it’s time to outsource, different creatives offer different kinds of packages that all fall under brand identity. There are copywriters and designers who offer messaging packages, just logo suite packages, and designers who offer full brand identities (and this is exactly why people start to get confused).
As promised - I want to give you some kind of resource each week that you can grab if you get to a step and think to yourself “I need to dig in here” so click here to grab a comprehensive checklist of everything that your brand identity should include.
Want to dig deeper? Here are some favorites from the blog:
→ How To Differentiate Your Brand And Build Emotional Connections With Customers
→ The Ultimate Guide To Designing Your Brand Color Palette
→ 3 Easy Ways To Create A Cohesive Visual Brand
→Why Your Logo Is A Waste Of Money And Other Advice I Probably Shouldn’t Give You As A Brand & Logo Designer
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a note from catie
The rebranding process can get sticky once you get to Brand Identity. Typically, you want to update and evolve your brand’s identity - but aren’t looking to take a complete 360. This usually looks like an evolution of your logo and colors, using “old” images and incorporating new ones. For CJ’s rebrand, this is going to look like
- A new logo suite, using my existing fonts & the cedar illustration but chopping “studio” off
- An updated color scheme - nothing crazy here because I really love most of what I have - but there are some colors I am no longer reaching for and I just want to redefine.
- Same with my fonts - they have evolved just a little - but I’ve never updated it in the documentation.
- Revisiting Messaging, which I feel pretty good about - but I will do some refining on it.
- A new brand photo shoot I’ve been dreaming up for months and months (by the end of the summer)
As I update my brand strategy and identity, I also update my FULL BLOWN Brand Guidelines Template in Canva for your user-friendly pleasure. When it’s done, it will be up for sale on my site, so if you want to join the waitlist, you’ll be the first to know.
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now booking
Now booking July for 1:1 brand & digital marketing packages. Ready to invest in your brand's next chapter? Click the link below to tell me a little bit more about your brand - I’ll send over my all-new pricing & services guide with a link to book a discovery call :)
Let’s discuss your brand's next steps, whether you’re building from scratch, rebranding your existing brand, or just need help with your content strategy. Click the link below to book a 60-minute consult.